


Just in Time (Jason Todd x Reader)

by CrazyNightmare



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-05 16:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyNightmare/pseuds/CrazyNightmare
Summary: For the past 6 months, the Joker has been torturing Jason Todd ruthlessly in Arkham Asylum.  Bruce Wayne has been trying to find him for all these months, but to no avail.  Y/N L/N tried everything she could to find out what happened to Jason.  After they take Scarecrow back to the Asylum, they discover that there's a new secret in one of the buildings.   When they find Jason, you may think that it ends happily ever after, but we're far from that now.





	1. Chapter 1: Arkham Asylum

It's been 6 months since the second Robin, Jason Todd, went missing. Bruce Wayne has been searching relentlessly for him, while Dick Grayson and Y/N L/N watched. Both of them had still tried to find Jason even after all these months, but they both accepted that it was a near impossible task anymore. Every once in a while the new Robin, Tim Drake, would walk up to Dick and Y/N to ask if Bruce was still searching. The only way they would answer is with a nod. 

Shortly after Barb had been shot, Y/N took up the role of being Batgirl. It was obvious Bruce needed the help, especially after Jason went missing. It was the only way they could keep him straight, by helping him during patrol or when someone got out of the asylum. 

"Bruce, it's been 3 months and Joker hasn't been seen anywhere? It doesn't make any sense. There's no way he left the city, right?" You asked while taking a seat next to him in the Batcave. He continued to watch the cameras in Gotham Underground, desperate to find some trace of green hair or a wide grin. 

"No, if he did, someone would've found out by now. He's nowhere to be seen here though. We had him in the Asylum three months ago, and he went missing only two weeks after that. What happened?" He said, mainly asking himself. 

"Is there any chance he's still in the asylum?" 

"Why would he be in the asylum still?" 

"To throw us off track. He's hiding for now so that we don't find him. He's planning something, whatever it is."

"So then what should we do about this?" Bruce wasn't subtle that he was testing you so you can work on strategy. He has planned for a long time that he will step down one day from being the Batman, he just needs to insure that Gotham will be safe once he does. 

"We can pull up a map of the island. If he's still in the asylum, we can find certain locations that have been locked off for years. In theory, nobody has found him yet, so chances are that he's hiding somewhere in a sealed off portion of one of the buildings." You started thinking out loud. 

He nodded, before typing on the computer, pulling up one of the blueprints to the asylum from many years ago. He then brought up a present blueprint and combined the two together. Dick walked in shortly after this and watched you two. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if we can find Joker before he goes on a rampage and kills someone." You replied.

"And he's somewhere in the asylum?" 

"Possibly. Think about it, Dick. The doctors told us that he went missing 2 and a half months ago, and he hasn't been seen at all this entire time? Something's up, and I'm sure someone would have noticed a guy with green hair, white skin, and green eyes." 

"Good point. But you're just going to explore every part of the asylum that's been locked? The asylum expands onto that entire island and even goes underground. How are you going to find him?" 

"I don't know yet. But we'll figure it out."

 

~

 

The Joker walked through the empty halls of a part of the Intensive Treatment building. Not a sound could be heard, it was that far away from people. No one noticed when he left, Harley made sure of it. When he stumbled out of his cell, Harley had the guards focused on another inmate who started screaming his head off. 

The psychiatrists were too focused on helping him, that no one realized that someone else was sneaking out. Harley deleted the recording for that night before she slipped into the dark. Joker was out, as if he were ever in the place. For the two weeks he was stuck in a cell, Harley had to make sure Jason got the right treatment every night.

She wasn't as bad as Joker, if you count swapping the crowbar to the ribs to being shocked with a few thousand volts as easy. She would shock him, beat him, and verbally abuse him, like he was just a little play doll. In a way, that's all he was to her. Just another victim before Joker gets bored and kills him. 

For six months, all Jason knew was pain. Nothing kept him sane after the third month, not even the thought of seeing Y/N L/N again, who recently started dating. All he could think of was how it hurt to stay still, it hurt to breathe, it hurt to do anything. It wasn't just physical though, mentally he was dead too. Joker showed him the paper of Batman and Robin saving the day once again. On another site, it showed the adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne suspected of dating the son of Lex Luthor. It was like he never existed to anyone. 

He couldn't stand it. He was going insane and he knew it. Every once in a while, with a burlap sack over his head, he'd hear a door open and close. Every time he faintly asks if it's someone else, just not him, not her. His hopes would rise and he believed that he'd finally be out, until he heard the dark chuckle of the Joker, the high pitched giggle of Harley, and sometimes, nothing. 

He lost track of time quickly, but he knew he'd been stuck in that room for months. 8 months, 2, he had no idea. All he knew was that he was beaten senselessly, he'd cough up blood every day, sometimes even vomit blood. Jason had no where to go, and even if the door was open wide for him to get out, he wasn't able to walk to it. There was no way out, he just had to wait until Joker was finally done and ended him once and for all. He didn't know when that would be, but he hoped it was soon.

Joker walked into the room, a grin on his face. "Did ya miss me, Jason?" He asked excitedly before laughing like there was no tomorrow. 

Jason winced and kept his eyes down to the ground. There was no point in giving a remark anymore. All it would end up being is another scar on his back. 

"Say, does my mark still burn you anymore? I need to make sure you still know you're mine!" Jason lightly nodded his head. Joker ran up to him and lifted his head by his chin.

"Well? Say something, boy!" 

"It... It does." He muttered. 

"Really? I thought burns were supposed to go away after a while. Let's try it out." He took a gloved hand and pressed as hard as he could into the burned 'J' in Jason's cheek. Jason let out a scream. 

It hurt so much, and all Jason could ask for was this to be over soon. "Well, looks like it does hurt still!" Joker yelled happily. 

"Harley do enough to ya while I was gone?" He grinned maniacally while he tightened the ropes on Jason's wrists that bound him to the wheelchair. "I was hoping she would, it's the only thing she seems to be good at." 

"But not to worry, Uncle J is back and better than ever!" 

Jason couldn't cry anymore, he was numb. There was no feeling except pain for him. 

"In a week we'll finish it all off. You'll be going on TV, Jason! Bats will see how you've been doing these past few months, like he ever cared." He muttered the last part.

"Even that girl you mentioned once or twice about, Y/N, maybe I'll send it to her!"

"I'll make sure you go out with a bang, Jason!" Joker left the room, and Jason couldn't help but smile at the idea of death.


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Jason is being tortured, you and Batman make your way down into the depths of Arkham Asylum to find where Joker is hiding.

"Robin, are you there?" You asked. Tim decided that you needed some time outside of the Manor, so he took you out for patrol. You've been locked up in the Batcave helping Bruce with pinpointing an exact location for where exactly Joker might be. 

"Yeah, I'm at the back of the museum now. Let's go get these guys." You were on the roof of the bank, ready to slip in when Robin gave you the signal. It was a glass ceiling, so it was easy to open up one of the panels and attack the first robber you saw.

Robin ran in, easily knocking out one of the armed men. You quickly went through the ceiling and crashed down onto an unsuspecting one. Visitors of the museum jumped when they saw you, but were still excited to see the two of you coming to rescue them. You and Robin swiftly knocked out all 8 men. The alarms were being disabled by Barbara as you finished the job.

By the time you started helping people up, Gordon was there to arrest the men, and the alarm was finally done blaring into everyone's ears. People with tears in their eyes thanked you to no end, and all you and Robin did was smile and say, "It was no problem." 

Later that evening, the two of you decided to celebrate by getting ice cream. It's not often that it happens, but for some reason, déjà vu kicked in for you. You remember the times when you'd walk around the park with Jason and you'd get ice cream with him. Tim noticed your change in mood almost immediately and knew exactly what happened. This wasn't the first time he'd seen it happen. "Hey, Y/N, we don't have to go get ice cream if you don't want to." 

"No, no, it's alright," you said with a sad smile. "I just miss him." 

"I know, and so does Bruce and Dick. I'm sure if I knew him before, I'd miss him too." He tried lightening the mood. It worked for a little bit, and you laughed a little. 

"Do you think he's still alive? Is it wrong that I keep hoping he's still out there?" 

"Knowing the Joker, that explosion didn't kill him. I don't know if he's still alive, but for your sake, I hope he is." 

"Me too." 

~

Twenty six. Twenty seven. Twenty eight. Twenty nine. 

Thirty.

Thirty strikes with a crowbar is what Joker just did to Jason. While lying on the floor, groaning in pain, Joker crouched down next to him. "What's wrong? I don't think I've crushed a lung yet! It's only a few bruised ribs and a broken hip!" He laughed. 

"Why... Why won't you just kill me now?" He weakly asked. 

"What? No, no, no, no... Not yet! I need to make sure Bats knows you're my sidekick. He needs to know you've been around all this time! After all, he doesn't even have a clue where you are." Joker grinned. 

"He doesn't care... She doesn't care... So just get it over with!" He yelled. It was painfully obvious that he was done. Over and over, his bones have been broken by crowbars, batons, and anything you could name of. Every single time they healed, (of course never the way they should've) they'd be broken again. Zsasz slashed him with blades. Two-Face gave him a few good punches, but none compared to Calendar Man's 365 (Don't forget the leap punch) punches. 

"I'll make him care again! There's nothing like seeing someone die to really stir him up in this crazy little game of ours." Joker let out one of his signature laughs before climbing up the stairs and leaving. 

If Jason could, he'd grab the blade that was only a few feet away and end it himself right then and there. 

~

"So, Bruce, could you find any specific place that Joker might be hiding in?" You asked as soon as you saw him when you got home. Alfred could barely say good evening to you. You quickly apologized to him for interrupting. 

"It looks like there's an underground unit beneath the criminal ward that has been sealed away for the past ten years. No one's been in it. The door's been locked for the entire decade. He might've made his way in there since no one's been near it." Bruce said. 

"Is that where we're going first when we get to the asylum?" 

"Yes. It's the most logical place to start with."

"When do we go?"

"In an hour. It's time to find him and get him back into Arkham."

~

It took only 15 minutes in the Batmobile to get to the asylum. You were nervous to be honest. After Joker took Jason from you, you'd be lying if you said you never dreamed of him dead. For a while, Bruce kept you away from him because he knew how attached you were to Jason. You two hated being away from each other.

Joker scared you. He scared everybody, but you weren't just everybody. You were nervous to be around him, not just because you feared what you might do, but for what he could do to you. 

You got out of the Batmobile and headed into the Intensive Treatment building. There, you and Bruce were sent through multiple rooms filled with sign-in sheets and security checkpoints. Of course, both of you were constantly checked due to all the metal tools on your utility belts.

Warden showed you the way to the abandoned part of the building. It was much darker because they only had every other light on. The halls clearly showed that they had been empty for years. The paint was chipping away on the walls, missing tiles in the floor, and doors left open. It was eerie, and about three times creepier than you imagined for an abandoned part of an asylum. "Where do we start?" You asked. 

Bruce started walking through the hall that went to the left, basically telling you to go the opposite direction. "Great, thanks for using your words, Batman." You sarcastically said before walking down the hallway. 

All you could find was cells going down the walls, most of the doors either open or gone. Inside there was frames for where the cots would be, and some broken down pieces to what seemed to be a toilet or sink. On some of the walls in the cells, they had writing. Some as tally marks, others something more sinister, like what Riddler or Joker would write. 

The hallway turned to the left and you continued your way down. It seemed like it'd go on for eternity, until it finally did stop. In front of you was now a metal door that was just barely open. You listened for any noise before opening it. All you needed to do was find out that Joker was right behind you or that he was behind the door, ready to strike. You prepared your comms unit for the worst case scenario. You slowly opened the door to find no one there.

You breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until you realize that you wouldn't be able to start walking again. Instead, it was a staircase that seemed to go down for multiple floors. This must be where it turns into the underground portion of the asylum, you thought. The stairs were littered with dust and a few stray rats. As you slowly took steps down, careful to not trip and fall, you stopped suddenly. Just a few steps away were Joker's signature joke teeth that he'd leave around his crime scenes. 

You sent a message to Bruce through your unit, just stating that you found evidence that Joker might be nearby. He sent you a message back, letting you know that he was making his way back and he would be there soon. The curiosity was eating you away though, so you decided to go forward, knowing he'd catch up. 

You slowly made your way down all the stairs. You had your weapon ready for any chance that he was around at the moment. The stairs led you to a new room, one that was covered in patches of blood. Some of it was on the doorway. What alarmed you was that the blood on the doorknob was dripping. It was fresh. 

Instead of sending a message to Bruce, you called him up instead. "Batman, I made my way through the entire hallway. There's stairs going down to the lower levels. It led me to a door that still has fresh blood on it." 

"Be careful. He has to be hiding around here somewhere. Take caution. If you want to wait-"

"No, I'll be fine. I'm ready."

"I'll be there in a couple minutes. I'm reaching the hallway now." The communication ended and you turned back towards the door. 

You looked up the stairs and all around, making sure that Joker was nowhere to be seen, ready with something to knock you out. Alas, he wasn't anywhere nearby. You checked for even hints of red, black, and white, in case Harley was near. Again, no one was around. You were ready for a fight, in case he was inside, doing whatever insane scheme it is this time. 

You opened the door and looked around quickly. Inside, you didn't see Joker nor Harley around. It seemed like you were safe for now. Taking a closer look at what was inside, you saw a desk, and a couple wheelchairs. Along the ground, it was covered in blood. You had to cover your nose from the stench. It was overpowering everything. Along the walls, various tools were hanging. Knives, tasers, batons, crowbars, you name it. 

Just as you were about to walk in, you heard a weak groan. You snapped your head to the far right corner of the room. There laid one of Joker's victims. God knows how long he's been here, you thought. He had a burlap sack over his head which covered most of his features. Everything else was covered in blood, dirt, and grime. You ran over to him quickly and tried to turn him over. You didn't know if he was dying currently or not, by the look of some of his wounds, it was very much possible. 

That's when you noticed what he had on. It was a suit, but not just any suit. Your heart stopped when you saw the 'R' on his chest. You couldn't believe that it could really be him after all these months. You slowly pulled the sack off his head and took a closer look at him. Through almost completely shut eyelids you saw green orbs. His hair was stuck to his face from sweat, but it was the jet black you could recognize almost immediately. 

This wasn't just another one of Joker's victims. 

This was Jason Todd.


	3. Chapter 3: Jason?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally find Jason after 6 months. But not everything ends happily ever after.

"Jason?"

He opened his eyes slightly more to see you looking down at him. No way. He thought there was no way you were here at the moment. His mind is just playing tricks on him at the moment. Jason's been trapped here for so long, it was impossible that someone finally found him, and even more impossible for it to be you.

"Y/N?" He barely choked out. He was slipping between the real world and the dream world, and he was desperately trying to figure out if this was a part of the real world. 

Your eyes quickly filled up with tears. Relief and happiness that you found him, but your heart broke knowing that he's been down here for so long. "Yeah, Jason, it's me. I found you." You smiled weakly. You weren't sure what you could do. While he looked weak, his weight had to be easily over 150 pounds. There was no way you'd be able to carry him by yourself. 

"No... No, this isn't really happening. It's another one of his tricks, isn't it?!" Jason yelled. 

~

Three months after Joker kidnapped Jason, he decided that the "little Robin," needed to learn the difference between right and wrong. 

It was only a few days after he showed Jason the picture of Batman next to the new boy wonder. Jason's hope had been crushed, which made it the perfect time for him to start the hallucinogens. Harley was going to help him with that part since she was the most experienced with it all.

Jason was strapped into an electric chair as Harley sat next to him with a clipboard in hand. She tried to look as "psychiatric" as she could without letting Harleen take over. It was a poor attempt, but she didn't care.

"Who gave ya that nasty scar on your cheek?" She would ask him. 

"Jok-" He was cut off by an electric shock. 

"Bzzt. Wrong answer! Now, who gave you that scar?" She repeated the question. 

He hesitated for a minute, knowing that this was just the answer she wanted. Instead, he got another shock.

"No hesitating!" She scolded him.

"Batman!" He cried out in pain.

"That's a good little patient. Keep this up and you may not even need me anymore. Don't worry 'bout my paycheck, though. I live by the old Sam Goldwyn philosophy." She winked.

"Anyone who sees a psychiatrist oughta have their head examined." She quoted. She grabbed a pill that was lying on a desk nearby and made Jason swallow it. 

She walked out of the room to see Joker walking up. "All right, he finally stumbled into naming the big Bat and the hallucinogen tabs oughta be kicking in a second."

"Good. Let's see how he does without Catman in there first." Joker smirked.

Jason watched as his vision distorted until it seemed like everything was spinning. When it cleared up, he was dazed and confused.

He turned to look at the door, the only way out. He saw Y/N burst through the door in her Batgirl suit. She looked ready to attack, but when her eyes landed on him, she lowered her stance. "Jason?"

"Y/N? You're here?!" Jason happily responded to her, ready to get out of this place.

"Y/N? Who's that?" Joker asked, his grin disappearing. 

"Sounds like our little Robin had a girlfriend!" Harley giggled. 

~

"Jason, I swear this isn't a trick or anything! I'm really here, and I'm going to get you out of here once Batman gets here." You tried to help him up a little, but it didn't work. His injuries were far too severe for him to do anything without being in a lot of pain. 

Finally, Bruce ran into the room. "Jason?" He muttered quietly. He couldn't believe his eyes either. 

"Yeah, let's have this shock later, for now, he needs medical attention immediately!" You told him. Bruce snapped out of it, nodded, and gently picked him up. He was only getting enough food and water to survive, which made him extremely light to Bruce. 

"Make sure that the Joker isn't anywhere near us. We can't have any disturbances while we get him up to the top." Batman told you. You nodded your head and went up after them reluctantly. All you wanted to do was stay by Jason's side at the moment, but you knew you couldn't do that. 

You quickly looked down the cells, and down the hallway, but you saw no sign of the green-haired freak. There was no noise except for Bruce walking up the stairs and the quiet moan from Jason. You couldn't stand hearing or seeing him like that, but at least you know where he is now. 

"Joker is nowhere to be seen. Should I go get one of the doctors to help Jason?" You asked from the top of the steps. Bruce shook his head. 

"No. We'll get him medical attention at the Manor. None of the psychiatrists here will have enough supplies to treat all his injuries, but he'll make it back home without it." He stated. 

"Well, we can't just walk out of this place with you carrying someone who's this beaten up. They're going to want to treat him and you can't just turn your back away while you walk." 

"There's another way out of here. I've already called the Batmobile and it's right outside the back door." 

"Of course there's another way out, I should've known." You rolled your eyes. Right now, sarcasm was your only way to stop yourself from just staying by Jason's side and breaking down there. You couldn't do that until you were back home. 

The three of you made your way to the gate that was at the back of the building. You opened it as Bruce carefully carried Jason into the back seat of the car. You sat next to him while Bruce got in the front. Jason was out cold, but he still had a pulse. You took the emergency kit from a storage space to the left of you and used some of the wraps to cover his injuries. There were countless slash marks across his face, but the 'J' on his left cheek is what started your tears. 

You can't imagine what he has seen, what he's been through with Joker. Every day for the past six months, the chances of you finding him were getting slimmer and slimmer. Now, he's here with you. But, what did the Joker do to him exactly? You only had an idea what the Joker has done to him. Was he there for all 6 months? You weren't sure you wanted the answer.

The Batmobile raced into the parking garage of Wayne Manor. Bruce picked Jason up and sped towards the Batcave. Once there, he placed him on a gurney and started getting different wraps, sprays, and stitches. Alfred and Dick walked in, ready to talk about the whereabouts of the Penguin. 

When they made it to you, Bruce, and Jason, Dick stopped and froze in place. Alfred looked over to find out who was on the cot. "Oh, my God..." He said. "Is that Master Todd?" 

You nodded grievously. Dick walked up close to the cot. "I thought he was gone after all these months." He said mindlessly. 

Alfred started helping Bruce with some of the cuts and you pulled Dick aside. "We found him down below the Intensive Treatment building. We were looking for Joker when there was this room I saw. It had fresh blood on it so I opened it. It looked like a butcher shop, Dick. There were weapons and blood everywhere, I didn't even see Jason until he made a noise." Your voice cracked more and more as you talked. 

Dick looked at you with pity, he knew how close the two of you were before Joker took him. He pulled you into his arms and placed his head on yours. You hugged him back tightly, finally letting the tears flow. 

Alfred turned his head to see the two of you behind the curtain. He almost smiled at the sight of you both having a moment, but it still didn't distract him from Jason for long. Bruce saw it too, but he didn't even keep his eyes on you both for a second as he continued to work on the second Robin. It may not seem like it at times, but everyone he knew that became Robin or Batgirl, he cared for like a son or a daughter. He couldn't let Jason die. 

And Jason wouldn't die physically. 

Little did Bruce know that Jason was so far gone mentally that this would change everything. There was no way to reverse it. Joker made his mark on him permanently, and there was no coming back from it.


	4. Chapter 4: Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason's back at Wayne Manor, but he's not well.

Jason had been unconscious ever since you found him in that room. It's been five hours since Bruce finished patching up Jason and for every second you were sitting there next to him. You spent all night just watching him rest. He didn't look peaceful, he looked dead. His skin was pale, his hair was greasy and dry, and it looked like he went through Hell and back.

Tim finally pulled you away using coffee. He knew you hadn't slept that entire time, so the least he could do was give you some caffeine. "I know, I don't know him at all and I have no idea how close you two were, but it's unhealthy that you've been up all night by his side." He told you, handing you a cup of coffee in the kitchen. You sat down at the bar and held the mug tightly.

"Says the one who I know has been awake all night doing God knows what." You responded.

"I've been working on a case for Bruce. Barb can't crack the virus so I'm trying to do it now."

"Either way you've been up just as long as I have. And mine's a bit more reasonable since I just found out that my best friend has been alive for the past six months."

"Maybe, but you should get some sleep. Bruce is attempting to get some rest and Alfred is asleep, at least try. If anything changes, I'll wake you up as soon as possible." He smiled at her.

"As soon as anything happens? Even just a change in his blood pressure you'll tell me, right?" You made him promise it.

"Of course. Now get some sleep. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to get you coffee." He muttered before taking the mug right out of your hands.

"Hey, I was still drinking that!"

"Coffee does the exact opposite of sleep for you, so go." He pointed up the stairs. You rolled your eyes and made your way up. It was getting early in the morning, you could tell by the light peeking through the trees. It was still dark except for a slightly lighter blue coming up the horizon. You definitely needed the sleep.

As soon as you fell into your bed, you crashed. You thought that it'd take a while to sleep, but clearly you were more tired than you thought at first.

You woke up sometime around 8 AM reluctantly. Alfred just knocked on your door to tell you that breakfast was ready. All you wanted to do was fall back asleep, but you could smell the bacon from here.

You quickly got dressed and went down to the table where Dick, Tim, and Bruce sat eating. You sat down and Alfred gave you a plateful of food. You thanked him for it before starting to eat. Bruce finally looked up from his phone when he heard you pick up your fork. "Y/N, I wanted to warn you today that I'll be up at Wayne Enterprises for the day, so I won't be around."

You nodded your head. "Okay, figured that. How's Jason?"

"He's still asleep, but his vitals are fine. He's recovering. However, I don't want you spending a lot of time in there. One hour today, and after dinner you can see him for another hour." He stated while looking down at his phone again.

"What?! Why?!" You stopped eating immediately.

"I will not have you spending the entire day by his side. There's nothing you can do now but wait until he's awake."

"Exactly, he can have a familiar face to wake up to, instead of waking up to no one around."

"Either way, there's work to be done. I need you to go back to the asylum with Dick and Tim to find Joker and put him back in his cell."

"What's the point?"

"Excuse me?"

"What's the point? In two weeks he was able to get out and hide from all the doctors and security guards. He's insane, he's done nothing but kill people, he tortured Jason for 6 months! He drove a doctor insane, and God knows what he's been planning right now. Why do we keep putting him back in a cell when all it does is delay the inevitable?" You had grown fed up with having to capture him over and over again. Tim and Dick watched from across the table as you and Bruce glared at each other. They were unsure of what they should do here.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we put him to trial like any other sane person, and if he gets the death penalty, then so be it!" You yelled at him. His eyes narrowed.

"You know we can't."

"Why?!"

"Because he's still a human being. He's someone who is still alive. To let him die would go against everything we've worked for."

"Why does it matter if when he's dead then that means plenty of people still have lives and families to go home to?"

"He was once a man too, Y/N, you seem to forget that. He wasn't always mad. You just never saw it."

"So what are you saying? That there's some slither of hope that he'll one day walk out of the asylum completely sane and fine? Even if he did, he wouldn't have a life, he's the Joker. Everyone would know and there's no way he'd be able to start a life."

"That is none of our concern. Our concern is to keep him alive, but saving people from his harm." He stood up and left the table.

You watched as the door shut behind him. Alfred glanced at you with a pitiful look in his eyes. When your eyes looked over to Dick and Tim, their eyes darted to their plates. They wanted to stay out of your path at the moment.

When you cooled down after a few minutes of pure awkward silence, you decided to try and start up a conversation. The two of them jumped when you said, "So when do we leave?"

Tim coughed as a signal for Dick to respond. "Uh, we'll probably leave after breakfast. Bruce has probably already left for work so there's nothing we can really do here. Barb's helping her dad out, and Alfred's watching over Jason."

You nodded in response and finished your plate. You put your napkin up and walked out of the room. You made your way to the medical room in the Manor, which was right by the entrance to the Batcave. There, you saw Alfred re-wrapping some of Jason's wounds.

"How is he?" You asked softly. You walked over to the opposite side of the bed and pushed some of Jason's hair off to the side, away from his face.

"He's doing remarkably well for someone who's been through all this. It's a miracle he survived it at all." Alfred answered. "He's very lucky."

You smiled slightly. "Yeah, he is."

"Miss Y/N, if you don't mind my asking, what were you and Master Todd before the explosion? I have heard from Master Bruce that you two had just started dating before it."

"You heard right, Alfred. It was only a week before. We've never even kissed before." You laughed at the memory of his confession from six months ago. It wasn't anything special, except for the fact that you got to hear Jason stumble over his words. You knew what he was trying to say, but you let him go for five minutes before Dick told him to spit it out while he was walking past.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I knew he liked me, and I'm pretty sure he knew I liked him back before that. But the thing is, we're still pretty new to the whole dating thing. Bruce took us in, and I've never really cared much for dating, and Jason was complaining about all the girls at Gotham Academy who stared at him because he was Bruce's adopted son. We had no idea what we were supposed to do." You laughed while talking.

Alfred even chuckled a little at the idea of Jason complaining. It wasn't unusual for the 15, now 16 year old to complain, but it was still amusing anyway. Whenever he'd walk into the Manor complaining about how he wasn't able to knock out some thug with a 'power punch' Alfred would have to conceal a chuckle with a cough.

He noticed how you stayed quiet after that. "Miss Y/N, you don't need to worry about Master Todd. I assure you he will be alright while you are gone. With the wounds he has, he might be in a coma. But I'm sure he will wake up soon, and you can see him as soon as he does. If he does wake while you are gone, I will be sure to tell you as soon as possible." He smiled softly to you.

You looked up and smiled back at him. "Thanks, Alfred."

Dick walked into the room right after that, knowing you'd be there. "C'mon Batgirl, it's time to suit up and head to the asylum."

"Right, I'll be there in a second." He left the room after that and went to get into his suit.

When he was finished dressing, Dick received a message from Bruce. All it read was, "Don't let Y/N near Joker. I don't care what excuse you give, but don't let her even go in the same room as him."


	5. Chapter 5: Deep Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joker executes his plan in Arkham Asylum.

You, Dick, and Tim walked into the Intensive Treatment building. After the numerous security checkpoints, you made it to the same abandoned area you were at just last night. It didn't change a bit, except that the silence of it was a bit creepier than it was before. Like the silence was something wrong, and what really should be happening is a faint laugh in the distance. You preferred this though. If you heard his laugh you were positive you'd snap. 

"Stay here at the front gate. Make sure he has no way of getting out. Tim and I will start going down the halls for him." Dick told you. You nodded and leaned against the wall. Dick and Tim parted at the end of the hall, and you were trapped in the silence.

While you stood there, you thought about what Jason must have gone through. The silence here would've been enough to drive you crazy, but knowing Joker was coming in all the time to beat you must've been horrible. It would've been enough to drive anyone to the point of suicide, and if someone truly wants that, they'd find a way. Even in situations like those. But he was still around, and while you were grateful for it, you couldn't help but feel guilty for being so happy he's still alive after all the pain. 

Every once in a while you heard the doors open and close to the left and right. You didn't pay any mind to it since it was obviously Dick and Tim. What startled you was when you heard a door open close to you. It sounded like the door you walked out of last night. The back gate. 

Confused, you picked yourself up off the wall and walked over to it quietly. You readied a Batarang, ready to strike at whoever came through. When you turned the corner to see who it was, you saw a flash of red, black, and white. You recognized who it was immediately. Harley Quinn.

You sent a message to Dick and Tim so that they knew she was in the building. You weren't as angry at her as you were for Joker, but you knew you had to stop her anyway. You threw the Batarang at her leg and she fell to the ground, shocked. "Hey! Who's there?!" She screeched in her annoyingly high pitched voice.

You quickly ran up to her and locked her in place on the ground. There was no way she was getting out. "Oh, it's you, the Batman's second sidekick. What are ya doin' here of all places?!" She glared up at you. 

"Stopping you and your little boyfriend." You said in your most intimidating voice. 

"But why? We ain't doin' nothin' wrong at the moment." She laughed. 

"Do you realize that Joker is going to be behind bars again soon? We've already found Robin in here, and he's no longer in the vicinity." You spat at her, your anger rising quickly as you mentioned him. 

"Well took ya long enough, didn't it?!" She giggled crazily. "We figured it wouldn't' last long, but it did! Is he still alive? I wanna know if my patient's going to be as crazy as Mistah J and I are!" 

"That's none of your business, Quinn." 

Before she could utter another word Nightwing and Robin ran up behind her and got the handcuffs out. "Time for you to get back in the part of the asylum that will keep you locked away from people," Nightwing said. 

Robin picked her up and she fought him the entire time, but it was futile. She whined and kicked and screamed, but there was no real point to it. She was just being a brat. "Thanks, Batgirl. I'll take her back up." 

You walked with him up to the door and stayed put. Just as the two of them left, Harley started laughing and said, "He is alive, ain't he?! He's not gonna be happy with you!" You glared at her as the door slammed shut. 

Dick made his way down the hallway Robin was going through, as he finished his part shortly before Harley Quinn made an appearance. He carefully stepped through the dimly lit hallway, making sure that he was silent. He made his way down the stairs that you found Jason by, and looked at the door. It was open slightly, and it sounded like there was rustling inside. Nightwing hid behind the door, ready to strike at whoever came out of it.

Joker made his way out the door, and Nightwing ambushed him quickly. The Joker started laughing maniacally as he was pinned to the ground. "So you found me! Wait a second, you aren't Bats! Where's Bats?!" 

"He figured you weren't much of a threat so he didn't bother coming over." He said. 

"Not much of a threat? Well, just he waits until he sees the funhouse I'm planning! It's going to be a blast!" He laughed again. Nightwing rolled his eyes and picked Joker up, holding his wrists behind his back. 

"A blast, really? A funhouse is boring even for you." 

"This isn't any ordinary funhouse though... It'll be the best one you've ever seen! And the last one too." He darkly chuckled. 

Before Nightwing could say anything else, he heard Batgirl talk to him through his earpiece. "Nightwing, get out of there! Tim found explosives all around the abandoned wing! It's going to blow any second!" 

Nightwing's eyes widened as the Joker went into a laughing fit. He ran up the stairs as fast as possible while dragging Joker with him. As he ran up, he could hear a bomb go off in the underground area, and the heat quickly rising up the stairs. He continued to sprint through the hallway until he found the back door. 

He threw himself against the door, throwing Joker out at the same time. Just as he shut the door and ran to where Joker landed, the explosives set off completely. It was ear-deafening and the fire was spreading everywhere. Pieces of brick and cement flew out from where they originally were and hit the grass. He watched as the building was engulfed in flames, right where he was at only a few minutes ago. 

"Nightwing, are you okay?!" You asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I got out, and I found Joker." 

"Seriously?" 

"Yeah, he's right here-" He stopped talking as he looked to the left of him but found no trace of the man. The sounds of the explosions would've made his footsteps quiet and Dick must've watched the building for longer than he thought. The Joker escaped. 

"What's the matter?"

"He's not here. He must've escaped while we were getting out of there." 

"Damn it! I'll have Robin shut the gates going out of Arkham Asylum. There's no way he's leaving the island now." You said as you had Tim shut the gates remotely. 

"We might be a little too late for that..." Nightwing ran to the shore of the island, where a helicopter was flying down with a ladder. Joker quickly climbed on before Dick could get anywhere near him. 

"Sorry to cut things short but when I found out you took my sidekick I had to make my own getaway plan! So long, tell Bats I said hi!" He let out a crazed laugh as the helicopter flew away. 

"Did I just seriously see the Joker leave on a helicopter through the security cameras?" You sighed. 

"Maybe. I don't know how he got there so quickly though. He was right next to me a second ago." He replied. Dick knew that the Joker was fast, but it didn't seem like he took his eyes off the clown for long. 

"There's nothing more we can do here. Might as well go home, the helicopter's flying off out of sight from the cameras around the city. All we can do is wait for now." You said. 

"Are you okay?" Tim asked you.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just so frustrated that this stupid clown gets away with everything." 

"Hey, we'll catch him. He won't get away with this." 

"Yes, he will. Every single thing he does just kills innocent people, and all we do is lock him up again. This isn't justice, it's insanity." 

"Alright, we need to get you home. You're stressing yourself out enough as it is. You need rest, some Netflix, and lots of snacks." He side hugged you and made you follow him out of the doors of the building and into the car. Dick followed shortly. 

When you made it to the manor, all three of you were tired as you walked in. Alfred came into the main room as you made it to the couches. "Master Dick, Master Drake, Miss Y/N, welcome home. If you'd like, you can see Master Todd, he just woke up." He greets you all with a warm smile. 

"He's awake?!" You and Dick yell. 

"Yes, he is." 

Tim just sits down because he doesn't want to get in the way of you and Dick. Before the both of you make a run for it, you turn to look at the other. You both had the same look on your face. Surprise, hope, excitement. Shock. 

You ran towards the room, ready to see him awake. You stop just before you make it to the door and take a deep breath. How was it going to work out? You weren't quite sure. But you hoped it'd turn out to be a happy welcome home for him. Dick caught up to you and you looked at him before taking a deep breath. He nodded at you and then towards the door. You understood and opened the door, ready to see Jason.


End file.
